Berry-box crate



No. 625,525. Patented May 23, I899. E. L. WALKER.

BERRY BOX CRATE.

(Application filed May 31, 1898.) (No Model.)

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ENOS L. IVALKER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

BERRY-BOX CRATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 625,525, dated May 23,1899.

Application filed May 31, 1898.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ENOS L. \VALKER, of the city of St. Louis, State ofMissouri, have invented certain new and 'useful Improvements inBerry-Box Crates, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription,

reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a partthereof.

My invention relates to berry-box crates; and it consists of the novelconstruction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a berrybox crate of my improved construction,parts thereof being broken away to more clearly illustratethe same andshowing the berry-boxes removed from one portion of said crate; Fig. 2is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view taken approximately on theline 2 20f Fig. 1.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings, 1 1 indicate the endpieces of my improved crate, and 2 the transverselyarranged partitionwhich is constructed of material somewhat thicker than the end pieces 1and to the ends of said end pieces 1 and said partition are secured bynails or in an y suitable manner the usual side pieces 3, and a suitablebottom at is secured to the lower edges of said end pieces andpartition.

Formed oppositely on the inner faces of the end pieces 1 and on the sidefaces of the central partition 2 at points half-way between the top andbottom edges of said end pieces and partition are ledges 5, the sameextending approximately half way through the thickness of the end pieces1 and a quarter of the way through the partition 2, and the material inthe faces of the end pieces and partition immediately above said ledgesis cut away on a gradual curve, thereby producing opposite recesses,which are tapered from the said ledges upward, as indicated by 6, untilthe original face or surface of the end pieces and partition 2 isreached, this point being approximately half-way between the ledges 5and the tops of the end pieces and partition. By so forming these ledges5 a substantial resting-place is formed for the ends of theremovablehorizontally-arranged partitions 7, which when properly located form atop for the box in the lower part of the crate and a base upon which arelocated the boxes in the Serial No. 682,153. (No model.)

top half of the crate. These removable partitions can only be removed bylifting oneend at first, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, andwhen placed in position one end is first placed upon one of the ledgesand the opposite end travels downwardly through the recess or cut-awayportion 0 until said lastment-ioned end rests upon this ledge.

By reason of the construction of ledges 5 and oppositely-taperedrecesses 6 the partitions will be held in position against accidentaldisplacement by gravity when the crate is overturned. This result willbe occasioned by the fact that the walls of said recesses convergeupwardly, and the ends of the said partitions will be caught andintercepted and held in position thereby during the act of falling. Infalling both ends of the partitions being substantially of the sameweight will of course gravitate downwardly with approximately the samevelocity, and the result just mentioned will thereby be pro duced.

In packing a berry-box crate of my improved construction the bottom ofthe crate is first filled with the boxes, after which a removablepartition 7 is located over each row of the boxes, said partitions beingproperly manipulated until their ends rest upon the ledges, ashereinbefore described, after which the second tier or layer of boxes islocated upon said partitions, thus filling the box, after which thecrate-cover is nailed or secured in position.

By my improved construction much space is economized in a berry-boxcrate, the removable horizontal partitions are prevented from coming incontact with the tier or layer of boxes which they cover, and noauxiliary ledges or supports that extend outwardly from the end piecesand partition are made use of, which construction would result in a lossof space in'the crate, and said crates can be very cheaply manufacturedand are very efficient in use.

It is obvious that my improved construction can be applied to egg-cratesand all boxes or crates where removable horizontal partitions are used.

I claim 1. The improved berry-box crate, having end pieces in which areformed opposite recesses, the Walls of which converge toward each other,in combination with removable partitions located in said recesses andarranged to be caught and supported upon the converging Walls of saidrecesses when the crate is inverted, substantially as specified.

2. The improved berry-box crate, having the end pieces 1, the partition2, the opposite faces of said end pieces and said partition havingopposite converging recesses 6 which terminate in ledges at their lowerends, and

the removable horizontal partitions located in said recesses andnormally retained therein by the converging walls of said recesses,substantially as specified. I

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ENOS L. WALKER.

Witnesses:

M. P. SMITH, A. W. TYLER.

